The judge says that although there is evidence that Foday Sankoh, the leader of the rebel group Revolutionary United Front (RUF), ordered his officials to take orders from Charles Taylor, there is no evidence this happened.

The court found that although the relationship between the RUF and Mr Taylor was close, there is no evidence that he was part of the RUF chain of command.

Korto Williams, the director of ActionAid Liberia, has given this statement ahead of the Charles Taylor verdict at the International Criminal Court later today:

ActionAid Liberia hopes this verdict provides an opportunity for Sierra Leone to lay many ghosts to rest. The verdict represents the brutal reality of what happened in Sierra Leone and reflects the war atrocities that were committed in Liberia. Fifteen years on from the civil war, many people continue to yearn for justice and recognition of their suffering.

The lead prosecutors in the special international criminal trial against former warlord and Liberian president Charles Taylor says they are hoping for a 'just sentence' for the man they believe is responsible for a litany of human right violations and crimes against humanity.

Brenda Hollis, Lead Prosecutor and David Crane, the American lawyer who indicted Taylor, both say that the sentence is as important as a guilty verdict.